Kristinn Taylor:
The internet-based crowd-fundraising site GoFundMe is standing up to the liberal race-baiting group Color of Change, threatening legal action against the group over its “smear campaign” to shut down fundraising for Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson.
Color of Change was co-founded by black leftwing radical Anthony K. “Van” Jones in 2005.
GoFundMe also reportedly accuses Color of Change of ‘threatening and intimidating GoFundMe employees.’
Wilson is the white police officer who shot unarmed 18 year old black robber Michael Brown after a confrontation a few minutes after Brown assaulted a clerk while he robbed a convenience store of cigarellos. Wilson has not been charged however he is under a grand jury investigation in to the shooting.
Brown’s shooting death in broad daylight on August 9th garnered worldwide attention as Ferguson erupted in to nightly riots. President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder spoke out on the situation in Ferguson with Holder leading the charge in a federal investigation of the shooting and the Ferguson justice system for bias against blacks.
The two GoFundMe pages dedicated to helping Wilson are reported to have raised a combined sum in excess of $400,000 before both pages stopped accepting donations of their own volition.
The International Business Times was first to report Monday about a Sept. 16 letter a lawyer for GoFundMe had sent to Color of Change regarding the group’s efforts to get GoFundMe to stop allowing fundraising for Wilson on its site. The Root, a black news and opinion site, followed with an opinion report on the threat of legal action.
IBT’s Christopher Zara reported on the GoFundMe legal letter:
“In a letter dated Sept. 16 and obtained by International Business Times Monday, a lawyer for GoFundMe accused Color of Change of engaging in a “smear campaign” and threatened to pursue swift legal action if the group does not cease and desist such behavior. Despite the threat, Arisha Hatch, managing director of campaigns for Color of Change, said the group has no plans to back off.
““We know what we have a right to do,” she said. “We’re a nonprofit organization and we can publicly campaign against any corporation.”
“The letter accuses Color of Change of threatening and intimidating GoFundMe employees and defaming the GoFundMe name. Hatch said after discussing the letter with Color of Change’s legal team, the group believes it is within its legal rights. She said the letter is just a scare tactic.
“A spokesperson for GoFundMe did not respond to requests for comment.”
IBT also reported the two groups had been engaged in discussions about changing GoFundMe’s policies but could not reach agreement. Color of Change is planning to follow through on a publicity campaign accusing GoFundMe of profiting from Brown’s death for reportedly taking a small percentage of donations as a fee. Color of Change’s plans include a using a billboard near GoFundMe’s San Diego office.
Didn’t I see tee shirts: ‘ I am Michael Brown’ ? And ‘I Survived the Ferguson Riots’ ? And who knows what else was ‘sold’ and ‘profited’ by the Co. any/companies/individuals who sold and printed those tee shirts..etc..or was that ‘a non-profit’ endeavor? Was the money made ‘donated’? Or did someone profit from Michael Brown in this respect?
Just asking.
The loss of businesses and theft of businesses which ensued, and the absolute
destruction in Ferguson… is lost on these people. It seems a lot of
money was lost at the hands of the ever so ignorant.
Ignorant is as ignorant does.
Obama and Holder appeases these people by doing what? Mentioning them in a speech? Offering an investigation which is going to occur anyway? These two do nothing but throw fuel on a fire…which is just as ignorant.
What this group is doing is trying to shut down the TRUTH how very liberal of them.
Where is the GoFundMe and left’s outrage over the Oklahoma beheading and the loss to those families?
The left abhors a level playing field. The left cowers in fear at the thought of truth and facts becoming available to every citizen. Here, the left wants to railroad Wilson to the gallows; they fear the possibility that he just might be innocent of a racially motivated shooting. If Wilson were to be able to afford top-quality representation, becoming a victim of left wing racism might be denied them.